BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – Ten people are in the running to become Bexar County’s top prosecutor in the March 2026 primary.
The March 3 primary election begins with early voting Tuesday. Find more info about the election here.
The seat will open following the end of current District Attorney Joe Gonzales’ tenure.
In June 2025, Gonzales announced he would not seek reelection.
>>Here’s how, where to vote early in Bexar County for the 2026 Texas primary election
There is a crowded field of eight candidates running in the Democratic primary, which could likely lead to a runoff.
On the Republican side, there is only one candidate: Ashley Foster. She will automatically make it onto the general election ballot in November.
Jason Wolff is running as an Independent. Currently, he is not officially on the general election ballot. Wolff must first secure 500 signatures from registered voters who do not participate in the primary election.
UTSA Political Science Professor Jon Taylor said voters should do their homework and find out which candidate is best for the job.
“I’d be suggesting that we look at people who have at least some sort of experience working in the district attorney’s office, working with district attorneys, or working on the criminal side of the legal system,” Taylor said.
Here are the people who have announced their candidacies:
James ‘Jim’ Bethke
James “Jim” Bethke is running for the seat as a Democrat. Bethke is currently the executive director of the county’s managed assigned counsel.
The group “is responsible for the assignment of qualified attorneys to represent criminally-accused indigent people in Bexar County,” a county website said.
Meli Carrión Powers
Meli Carrión Powers, a prosecutor with more than two decades of experience, announced her Democratic candidacy on Oct. 23. She currently serves as the chief of the Family Violence Division at the Bexar County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
“For over two decades, I have been standing shoulder-to-shoulder with victims,” she said. “I have fought for children who have been abused, survivors of domestic violence and families shattered by violent crime. I know exactly what is at stake when we fail to prosecute dangerous offenders effectively.”
Meredith Chacon
Meredith Chacon announced her candidacy to run for Bexar County District Attorney in a Dec. 9 news release.
“Chacon says she is running to fix a District Attorney’s Office plagued by backlogs, low morale, and instability,” the release stated. “She is committed to restoring professionalism, improving efficiency, and putting families and victims first.”
Chacon has more than 22 years of courtroom experience as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney, according to the release.
Luz Elena Chapa
Former Fourth Court of Appeals Judge Luz Elena Chapa announced her plans to run for the seat as a Democrat last Nov. 25.
Former state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte is serving as her campaign treasurer, according to a news release.
Most recently, Chapa served as a visiting judge for the Fourth Administrative Judicial Region.
“This is important and personal to me,” Chapa said. “I live and work here; I’m raising my family here, and I care deeply about public safety and a strong, safe community. I have the experience to get the job done, having been a civil litigator and an appellate judge.”
Jane Davis
Jane Davis, currently the chief of the juvenile sections at the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, is running for the seat as a Democrat.
She previously served as a prosecutor in Bexar County for 28 years, according to a Bexar County website.
Ashley Foster
Ashley Foster, who filed as a Republican, made her campaign announcement in a Facebook post last Nov. 8.
“I’m running to make our community safer, our system fairer and our future brighter,” Foster said. “This campaign is about all of Bexar County — every neighborhood, every family, every voice.”
Veronica Legarreta
Veronica Legarreta, a Democrat who was one of the earliest candidates to file for the race, announced her intent to run last Oct. 17.
She previously served as a prosecutor with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office and as a criminal defense attorney.
“We have not had a female District Attorney in Bexar County since former D.A. Susan Reed and have never had a female Hispanic District Attorney in Bexar County,” Legarreta said. “I think it’s about time for fresh eyes and a fresh perspective to solve, strategize and eliminate the problems and issues that have existed in the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office. Sometimes, you need a woman to get the job done, and that is exactly what I intend to do.”
Shannon Locke
Shannon Locke, a longtime criminal defense attorney, announced his plans to run for the seat as a Democrat last Nov. 20.
“This office belongs to the people, not to politicians,” Locke said in a news release. “In every courthouse hallway and every neighborhood I walk, I hear the same thing: people want a justice system that is firm, fair, and focused on solving problems, not scoring headlines. That’s the kind of District Attorney I intend to be.”
Oscar Salinas
Oscar Salinas filed to run for Bexar County district attorney last Nov. 25.
“I filed today because Bexar County needs a District Attorney who understands what victims and families go through in real time,” Salinas said. “People deserve clear answers. They deserve timely updates. They deserve a justice system that does not leave them in the dark. My focus is communication, accountability and rebuilding trust.”
Salinas graduated from the University of Texas School of Law. In a news release, he said his priorities include improving office morale and strengthening internal culture.
Jason Wolff
Jason Wolff, the nephew of former San Antonio Mayor and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, is running for the seat as an Independent.
Wolff graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio and received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, according to his bio on the Calfas Law Group’s website.
Wolff was elected in 2010 as a Republican to serve as the Judge of Bexar County Court at Law 2. He held that seat until 2018, when Democrat Grace Uzomba unseated him by approximately 13 percentage points. In 2022, he ran unsuccessfully for that seat again.
Wolfe worked as a Bexar County assistant district attorney for more than a decade, according to his online biography.
Read also: